Why the "continuous increase" of grain should be "the main grain of potato"?

Recently, some media interviewed "scholars who have been concerned about food security for a long time" on the social concern of "the main grain of potatoes". "this indicates that there must be something wrong with China's grain reserves." It's just that the Central Committee doesn't know what to say, so cover up the problem. "

Such a major issue related to the national economy and people's livelihood should be interpreted and clarified at the first time. Today, our reporter interviewed Dai Xiaofeng, head of the potato main grain research group of the Ministry of Agriculture and director of the Agricultural products processing Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and asked him to make a rational analysis and judgment on why he still needs "potato staple grain" after the "11th consecutive increase" of grain.

The benefits of potato staple grain are innumerable.

Science and Technology Daily: food security not only maintains the "national plan", but also involves the details of "people's livelihood", which is the top priority of the common people's concern. As a well-known expert in agricultural science and technology, what kind of basic judgment do you have on such statements as "problems with grain reserves", especially "cover up the problems"?

Dai Xiaofeng: the main grain of potato is definitely related to the national food security, but it really has nothing to do with the grain reserve. Grain reserves involve another topic, which is not specifically discussed here.

As for "covering up the problem", it is even more false. In fact, on the contrary, the main grain of potato is the most effective strategic measure to face the current food security problem in our country. It plays a significant positive role in ensuring national food security improving agricultural production efficiency and income improving national physical quality and optimizing the ecological environment. It can be said that the benefits of the main grain of potatoes are innumerable.

Why don't Chinese people use potatoes as dry food?

Science and Technology Daily: potatoes are so good that they are almost always the staple food in other places outside the Chinese food culture circle. Only in the eating habits of the Chinese people, why do they take it as "inappropriate dry food"?

Dai Xiaofeng: potato is an alien species. Since it was introduced from Central America more than 400 years ago, the Chinese have been "not using potatoes as dry food." According to our analysis, the fundamental reason is that the "four major pieces" of Chinese staple food-- steamed bread and noodles that northerners are used to eating, rice noodles that southerners are used to eating, all need to be processed twice, while potato flour does not contain gluten protein. It is not as easy as wheat flour to make steamed bread and noodles, let alone rice noodles, or noodles as a non-staple food at most. In the West, mashed potatoes, potato chips and even unprocessed potatoes are cooked directly, which are popular staple foods.

The market forces the potato to become the main grain.

Science and Technology Daily: Chinese people eat potatoes as a dish for hundreds of years. Now that grain has increased in a row, it is proposed that potatoes should be the main food. I am afraid this is the main reason why some people in society have doubts about this.

Dai Xiaofeng: in fact, a few years ago, some experts have put forward the "small potato industry", suggesting the main grain, but only sporadic suggestions. The potato staple grain, as a strategic measure at the national level, is forced by the market.

Our country has achieved an "eleventh consecutive increase" in grain output, and there is nothing wrong with the basic judgment that "Chinese people's rice bowls are in their own hands." However, with the bumper grain yield year after year, grain imports are also increasing year after year. In 1996, China's White Paper on Grain issues for the first time put forward the goal of a grain self-sufficiency rate of no less than 95%, and the outline of the medium-and long-term Plan for National Food Security (2008-2020) reaffirmed this goal. But in fact, by 2014, China's grain self-sufficiency rate had fallen to 87%.

However, at present, the industry is more controversial about the 95% red line. On the one hand, because in the caliber of grain statistics, in addition to the three major grain rations of rice, wheat and corn, it also includes soybeans, which are the most imported. If we count the soybeans alone, it should be said that the amount of imported rations is not large. The requirement of basic self-sufficiency of food rations is consistent with the actual situation. On the other hand, the decline in grain self-sufficiency rate is the inevitable result of the upgrading of residents' consumption, participation in the international market and international division of labor. Experts generally believe that 95% of the red line was put forward in the 1990s, and under the new situation, the connotation of food security is not exactly the same as it was 10 or 20 years ago. Therefore, ensuring a higher self-sufficiency rate of grain, especially rations, is the bottom line; in order to further meet economic development, population growth and reduce the pressure on the environment and resources, it will be inevitable to import industrial grain, feed grain and even rations appropriately in the future.

With the continuous increase in grain imports, there is also a strange phenomenon: the import of potatoes has increased year after year in the last three years. This forces the relevant decision-makers to be vigilant: "do you even have to import potatoes?" At the same time, it urges people to think, so as to explore possible solutions.